139 Responses

I've long felt Jacinda is that person. She oozes compassion, even when (and maybe, mostly) when she's angry.

Yes, she's always been just plain and simply - believable. Her honest, enthusiasm will wipe the floor of Bill in leadership debates. I suspect National's vote will plummet - more NZers than I think anyone can imagine are sick and tired of the 'old boys'.

Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis have both shown there willingness to represent those without the power to even vote. Davis has been defending the rights of prisioners. Ardern has a reputation for speaking for the rights of the child.

Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis have both shown there willingness to represent those without the power to even vote. Davis has been defending the rights of prisioners. Ardern has a reputation for speaking for the rights of the child.

good point. I have been a bit uncertain about Kelvin Davis (not exactly sure why), but his work on prisoner rights has been admirable, and has made me warm to him a bit. Not necessarily a popular issue to go with, but an important one that deserves credit.

I think the new policies of Labour (and you are right there has been some excellent policy work done) has been overshadowed, or at least partially obscured, by the missteps (or at least the noise about the missteps) around immigration

...overshadowed, or at least partially obscured, by the missteps (or at least the noise about the missteps) around immigration

They weren't exactly missteps though, rather a deliberate strategy to compete with Peters. Ardern has a great many qualities but she along with all the other Labour MPs sat silent - not taking career risks - when the Chinese-sounding names thing was being pushed.

Perhaps the change in leadership is an opportunity to recalibrate not just the relationship with the Maori Party.

After Key, Little and English, it's good to have a search-friendly name at last.

Anyway ... I wish her all the best. I shifted some time ago from Labour to the Greens in my voting intention (not specifically due to Little, more an accumulation of facepalms since 2008) but in any event I hope to see her as the next PM. And if she misses out this time, for goodness sake leave her in place for the next one.

If Jacinda loses and (as is conventional) resigns the next day, she'll take the record for the shortest term of a Labour leader. Maybe Grant's being smart and keeping well clear - he'll be able to draw a whole 3 years salary if he's next.

It may be conventional now, but it's not always been the case. Clark and Bolger lost and stayed - and won the next one. Moore stayed and almost won 3 years later. Even Brash, English and Shipley waited before they were ousted, well after the election.

Unless Ardern has a disastrous campaign, she would surely be smarter to wait for Winston to do for the Nats what he has done to two previous gov'ts. Quitting on election night has been part of Labour's problem: it's a habit they should break.

she would surely be smarter to wait for Winston to do for the Nats what he has done to two previous gov’ts.

Winston's tweet says a lot;

Politics is a tough business – those who understand that will feel sympathy for Andrew Little.He’s fought the good fight, but at the end of the day he was a victim of the transience of the polls.We can say what we like about polls, but at the moment the picture is bleak for a number of parties.Jacinda and Kelvin will know that they have taken on a big job, some will say an insurmountable task, but we tender our congratulations.

No scorn whatsoever. He likes them, and he liked Andrew. Cannot see him going anywhere near National.

Unless Ardern has a disastrous campaign, she would surely be smarter to wait for Winston to do for the Nats what he has done to two previous gov’ts. Quitting on election night has been part of Labour’s problem: it’s a habit they should break.

They will. Labour's constitution now requires an endorsement vote in the February after an election – which, assuming she doesn't have a disastrous campaign, the party will surely give.

I tend to think of her as my sort of person, in that she went to Splore because she wanted to.

A couple of years ago at Splore, my buddy got separated from the rest of us when we moved along, and got left with Jacinda and Clarke, who we'd bumped into. He proceeded to have a great night in their company – and couldn't believe it when they went and fetched him when they moved along.

I normally watch the news at 6 and ignore the news-lite programs at 7. Tonight I watched the late night repeat of TV3's The Project and then thought I would compare it with 7Sharp on TV1 on demand.FFS, 7 Sharp last night was purely and simply a party political broadcast on behalf of the National Party. We're in an election campaign: that program should be taken off the air.

7 Sharp last night was purely and simply a party political broadcast on behalf of the National Party. We're in an election campaign: that program should be taken off the air.

Hoskings has complete control of that show, and the powers that be have abrogated any responsibility to be a fair handed state broadcaster. The only way to get Hosking's off air would be a brutally political one - Labour and the Greens would have to tell (off the record, but clearly and slowly) the TVNZ CEO that his job, and everyone on his board, will be gone if they keep 7 Sharp on air during the election campaign, and they get the chance to form a government.

If TVNZ wants to play dirty politically with Hoskings and 7 Sharp, they need to be shown that is a game two can play.

I would really like to see Jacinda develop a more succinct way of a) pointing out National's hopelessness and b) saying what Labour would do differently.

(b) seems like a critical thing to me. For the past so many years I've felt as if Labour has, at most, been pointing at faults in the government but rarely if ever expressing why and how it'd be any better. The unofficial National Party narrative through most of Dirty Politics was "but all politicians are like that so keep voting for us". It wasn't seriously challenged and it worked.

If it's too late for the government to change this election, I hope we're at least heading into a period of credible, charismatic and effective opposition. Nobody wins when the opposition's too ineffective to provide a credible alternative to the government.

FFS, 7 Sharp last night was purely and simply a party political broadcast on behalf of the National Party.

With a whiff of desperation on Hosking's part I thought (I too had the misfortune of catching parts of that jeremiad) - he's worried because he must know that his party is a flimsy tissue lacking substance and now it has an intergenerational fight on its hands.He even ended by promising "more on Labour's 'shenanigans' tomorrow"

I wonder which meaning of shenanigans he cleaves to?'silly or high-spirited behaviour; mischief.' or 'secret or dishonest activity or manoeuvering:'I know which one he has a propensity for.Odious oik!